New doctors need to be introduced faster
Does Norway spend more time hiring new doctors in Sweden, Denmark and England? The answer is no.
Debate
This is a debate post. Opinions in the text are at the writer’s expense.
Rapid access to new doctors is important for patients to receive good treatment. Does Norway spend more time hiring new doctors in Sweden, Denmark and England? The answer is no. Norway is in sixth place out of 39 European countries when it comes to introducing new drugs.
The European Industry Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFPIA) surveys every year it takes from the time a new medicine is granted a marketing authorization until it is available to patients.
Previously, it was enough that a few patients in a country had access to a drug for this to be classified as available. This created misunderstandings. From 2021, the proportion of new doctors who have been introduced, funded and available to all patients in the current country will be mapped.
Criteria set by the Storting
EFPIA report for 2021 was published April 6, 2022. It shows that Norway is behind five other countries in access to new doctors, but ahead of 33 other European countries, including all other Nordic countries, England and Switzerland. Norway is also in sixth place out of 39 for access to new cancer drugs.
In Norway, new drugs are evaluated against the criteria of the Storting, including the seriousness, usefulness and use of resources of the disease. Already today, medical experts from the health trusts are widely used in these assessments. We also want a collaboration with the Norwegian Medical Association to appoint professionals in the various areas for this important work.
Gonna get better
We will work more closely with the pharmaceutical industry in the future. In 2021, the pharmaceutical companies used on average 289 days to provide documentation as requested by us in order to assess whether the Storting’s criteria have been met. We must become better at using time, so that Norwegian patients have a quick approach to new and good treatment.
The post is signed by:
Inger Cathrine Bryne, CEO, Health West
Cecilie Daae, CEO, Health North
Stig A. Slørdahl, CEO, Health Central Norway
Terje Rootwelt, CEO, Health Southeast
Baard-Christian Schem, subject director, Health West
Geir Tolråli, Director, Health North
Henrik Sandbu, acting director, Health Central Norway
Jan Frich, Deputy CEO, Health Southeast